Birdhouse



Oct. 29, 1940. COPEMAN 2,219,297

BIRDHOUSE Filed July so, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 31 Lloyd 6: Copeman ATTORNEY5 Oct. 29, 1940. L0. COPEMAN BIRDHOUSE Filed July 30, 1937 4 Sheets-Shget 2 IN VENTOR,

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. ATTORNEYS Oct. 29,1940. L. G. co EMAN 2219,297

BIRDHOUSE Filed July 30, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 II VENTOR.

A TTOR NE Y5 Patented Oct. 29, 1940 r 2,219,297

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BIRDHOUSE Lloyd G. Copeman, Flint, Mich. Application July so, 1937, Serial No. 156,443

8 Claims. (01. 119-23) This invention relates to improvements in of the reinforcing and insulation members to the collapsible birdhouses and bird baths. side walls and roof member.

It is old in the art to provide birdhouses formed Figs. 11 and 12 are detailed cross sections taken from blanks of waterproof sheet material and on lines lI-ll of Fig. 10 and I2-l2 of Fig. l

reinforced by a removably mounted perch passshowing the eave portions of the birdhouse and 5 ing through adjacent or opposite sides of the showing the ventilation features of the side walls assembled birdhouse. The present invention reand the roof member. lates to an improved structure for this type of Fig. 13 is a cross section plan View of the birdhouse. An object of the invention is to proassembled birdhouse taken on the lines l3-I3 vide a collapsible birdhouse which can be manuof Fig, 10. factured and sold at a price low enough so that Fig. 14 is a cross section of the assembly taken the birdhouse can be destroyed at the end of the on line l4-l4 of Fig. 10. year with the vermin that havecollected therein. Fig. 15 is a cross section of the inverted roof A further object is to provide a birdhouse which, member taken on lines |5l 5 of Fig. 2 and illus- 5 15 when in collapsed condition, has very little bulk trating the manner in which water can be held and thus may be conveniently handled between therein. the manufacture and the sale thereof. Referring in particular to the cross sectional A further object of the invention is to provide a assembly view in Fig. 10, the birdhouse consists cover member which may be used alternatively generally of a bottom member l6, side walls I1, as a cover for the house and as a bird bath. a roof member I8, depending members attached 20 Other features of the invention include a novel at the top to the roof member as will be later dereinforcing structure which is adapted to serve scribed and a perch 2 I extending through the side as an insulation for the top portion of the birdwalls I! and depending members. house and which also allows ample ventilation v The bottom member I6 is illustrated in plan of the enclosure. A further feature of the pres- View in Fig. 6 and consists generally of the square 25 ent invention is embodied in the shape of the midportion having hole 22 in the middle thereof entrance opening, being so designed that a bird for ventilation purposes and having side memmay easily pass in and out while bearing twigs bers 23 creased along the edge of the bottom and other materials for the formation of a nest member to allow them to fold at right angles to within the birdhouse. I the bottom member. Side members 23 are per- 0 In the drawings: V forated as at 24 to allow them to be fastened to Fig. 1 represents an assembly perspective view the side walls I! as later described. The side of the assembled birdhouse. walls I! are shown in flat position in Fig. 7. The

Fig. 2 illustrates the roof portion of the birdthree side walls I! are identically shaped, the

house in inverted position whereby it may serve center side wall being provided with an opening 5 as a bird bath. 25 which forms the entrance to the birdhouse. Fig. 3 is the cross section taken on the lines The opening 25 is provided with two horizontal 33 of Fig. 2. p diametrical slots 25aextending a short distance Fig. 4 is a plan view of the roof member. on each side of the circular opening and pref- Fig. 5 is a plan view of the roof member with erably about A; inch in width. These slots 25a 40 the reinforcing portions attached thereto. are provided to allow a bird more easily to bring Fig. 6 is a plan view of the bottom of the birdtwigs and string and grass and other materials house, 7 a into the birdhouse to form a nest. This entrance Fig. 7 is a blank of the side walls of the birdformation has resulted in a bird being able to enhouse before they are folded to form an encloter the house carrying, for example, a twig on its 45 sure. first attempt, whereas with the previous round Fig. 8 is a modification of Fig? showingthe opening the bird might be required to make manner in which the ends of the side wall memseveral attempts to get the twig into the birdbers are connected together and a different locahouse before it would be able to successfully tion of the entrance hole. I maneuver through the opening. 50

Fig. 9 is a cross section taken on lines 99 of The back of the birdhouse is formed from walls Fig. 8 showing the joint between the respective 26 formed on each end of the side wall blank ends of the side wall member. (see Fig. '7). Each of the side wall members l1 Fig. 10 is a cross section on lines lfl-Jllof Fig. and 26 is provided with ventilating holes 21 near 1 showing the ventilation holes andthe relation the top and the waterproof cardboard is creased 55 between each of the wall members I! and 26 to allow relative folding between the side walls. When the birdhouse is being assembled the walls 26 are drawn together as shown in Fig. 9, and locked in place by a wire staple 28 or adhesive tape 29 or both. It will be seen from Figs. '7 and 8 that the entrance hole 25 can be placed in any one of the side walls. As shown in Fig. 8 the side wall members are provided with holes 30 adapted to engage with the holes 24 in the bottom member l6. Split rivets lfia are used to fasten the bottom to the side walls.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the top member la, the blank of which is shown in Fig. 4. Each corner portion of the roof member is creased in three places, the central creases 3| of each corner being struck in opposite directions from the angle creases 32 which extend from the center of the roof member to each side of the central corner creases 35. For example, referring to Fig. 12, assuming that the crease 3! is upward, the angle creases 32 would be downward so that when the portions 33 lying between the two creases are bent or crimped to a substantially parallel relationship, the roof will assume a four way pitch from the center, the pitch of the roof being determined by the angle between the creases 3i and 32. In addition to being an inexpensive method of forming the roof member, the result is a roof which is highly reinforced by the corner crimping and which is also decorative in appearance.

The roof member i8 may be used as a bird bath, as shown in Figs. 2 and 15, the corners being folded or crimped as previously described so that the roof member Ii} is substantially in the shape of a four sided pyramid. Wire clips or prongs 34 and 35 are necessary to hold the corners in folded position. In this manner an inexpensive highly reinforced bird bath is formed.

When the roof member !3 is to be used as a roof for the birdhouse, it is provided with auxiliary side members 36 and 31 which are attached and hinged to the slanting portions of the roof member and adapted to depend therefrom as shown in Fig. 10. The depending auxiliary side walls or members 36 are each provided with ventilating holes 38 located to register substantially with the ventilating holes 27 in the side walls H and 26 when the birdhouse is assembled (see especially Figs. 11 and 14). The auxiliary side member 3'! is provided with a substantially large opening 39 adapted to register-with the entrance 25 in the main side wall H. 1e side wall members ll, 26, 3E and 3'? are provided with holes 49 for receiving rigid perches 2|, the said perches serving to reinforce the assembled birdhouse. In using member !8 as a cover for the birdhouse it is unnecessary to clip the folds of the corner together since the auxiliary members 36 and'iil, when drawn into place by the perches 2! will determine the pitch of the roof member if). It will be readily seen that perches are unnecessary to hold the birdhouse in assembled relationship since any type of pin fastening device will serve to hold the auxiliary sides and the roof in position. The top of the birdhouse can easily be provided with a suspension member to facilitate placing of the house in a suitable location for occupancy. The entrance hole can be made different sizes in different houses to allow for different birds and, since wren houses are preferably made without a perch near the entrance,

some other means could be provided for holding the Wren sized house in assembled position.

It will be seen that the combination of the auxiliary sides 36 and the side walls i! and 26 provides a well ventilated, insulated and reinforced structure which will withstand sun, wind, and rain and which may be manufactured at a low cost and conveniently packaged in collapsed condition for purposes of distribution.

The words crimped or crimp as used in the specification and claims are intended to mean a folding in or folding out of a triangular portion of the roof blank, each crimp requiring three folds in the blank, the middle fold being in a direction opposite the folds to each side.

The construction disclosed herein need not necessarily be confined to use as a birdhouse but the body may take other shapes such as a bird shelter or feeding station or similar structure.

I claim:

1. A birdhouse formed of waterproof sheet material comprising a bottom, exterior side walls, means for attaching the bottomto the side walls, a top member sloping from the center thereof and having crimped portions todetermine the pitch of said member, individual interior depending side members fastened to and depending from the underside of said top member, and means for attaching the exterior side walls and the interior side members in assembled relation whereby said top member is maintained in pyramidal shape.

2. A structure to be used as a birdhouse or similar structure formed of waterproof sheet material comprising a bottom member, side walls formed from a blank folded to form sides, means for fastening said bottom to said side walls, and atop comprising a square having each corner triplecreased from the center, the middle crease being in one direction and the side creases being in the other, the angle between said middle crease and said side creases being predetermined to limit the maximum pitch of the roof when assembled, and means forattaching said top to said side Walls tocomplete the assembly.

3. A structure to be used as a birdhouse or similar structure formed of waterproof sheet material comprising a bottom member, side walls folded around and fastened to said bottom member to form equal sides, and a top blank having creases from the center thereof whereby three or more portions of said blank may be folded in to draw said blank into pyramidal shape, and means for attaching said top to the side Walls.

4. A birdhouse formed of waterproof sheet material comprising a bottom member, exterior side walls integrally connected at each corner and provided with a row of ventilating holes at the top edge and an entrance hole in one side with horizontal diametrical slots extending therefrom, means for holding the bottom to the side walls, a top member sloping toward each edge from the center, and corners on said top member, each being folded in to provide the slope of said roof, and a hinged depending member attached to each sloping side of said top member and provided with holes adapted to register with the holes in said sidewalls, and means to hold each of said. depending members in substantially spaced relationship with the respective side walls.

5. A birdhouse formed of waterproofed sheet material comprising sides folded to define an enclosure, a bottom member and means for attaching the same to said sides, and a roof member defining a-pyramid with 2. turned out portion at each slanting edge, independent auxiliary side members depending from the interior of said roof member, and means for fastening said auxiliary side members to said sides whereby insulation for said house is effected, said side members being dimensioned to form a substantial enclosure when in assembled position.

6. A birdhouse formed of waterproofed sheet material comprising sides folded to define an enclosure, a bottom member and means for attaching the same to said sides, and a roof member defining a pyramid with a turned out portion at each slanting edge, auxiliary side members depending from said roof member, and rigid perches adapted to be thrust through said sides and auxiliary side members to hold said roof in position. v

'7. A birdhouse formed of waterproof sheet material comprising a bottom member, exterior s de walls integrally connected at each corner and provided with a row of ventilating holes at the top edge and a round entrance hole in one side with horizontal diametrical slots extending therefrom, a top member sloping toward each edge from the center and having a portion of each corner folded in to provide the slope of said roof, and hinged depending members attached to each sloping side of said top member and provided with holes adapted to register with the holes in said side walls, and one or more rigid perches extending through exterior side walls and depending members to hold the top member in assembled position.

8. A structure to be used as a birdhouse or similar structure comprising a top member adapted too be shipped fiat, a bottom member, side walls for defining the structure in general connected to said bottom member, and connecting means, in the form of interior independent side walls depending from said top member,- for said member and side walls adapted to give said member a predetermined fixed shape, said connecting means having a width slightly less than said side walls whereby a substantial enclosure is formed within said structure.

LLOYD G. COPEMAN. 

